Got stress?

I've been touchy lately.  Irritable.  Short-tempered.  Letting every little - and big - thing get to me.  I've been a nervous wreck.

I think it's the cumulative affect of being in lock down for so long.

I keep thinking that I need a vacation, that some R&R would do the trick.

Then today, as I was reading in Hebrews chapters 4-6 about the rest of God, I got thinking about how Jesus never took vacations (as far as we know).  And though Jesus was always in God's peace, He was a very busy man!  Every day, everywhere He went, He was in demand as a teacher, healer, and rescuer.  

Now Jesus went away frequently to pray.  And He spent time with His Father.  This rejuvenated Him.

But I spend time every morning with Jesus, too.  Without fail.  

Yet just a few hours into the day, depending on what is happening around me, I find myself getting upset about something or someone.

How to stay in the rest and peace of God?

What causes us stress?  How do we manage it?  Was Jesus ever stressed?

I heard a preacher online yesterday say that when we care (worry, have anxiety), the root of it is pride.  Ouch.  How is that?  Because at the root of my "concern" (translation: wanting to control everything and everyone) is the fact that I am not trusting God in that moment.  That is pride.  If I am trusting in anyone or anything else other than God at any moment, then I either:

1. Think I know better how to handle something, OR
2. Don't trust God to handle it

This is hard for me to write because I know that my faith and trust in Christ is deep and true.  He has proven my faith for many decades now.  It is my core, my foundation.

But if I can still be self-reliant - not seek Him first - and take the reins in a situation, then I am not trusting God in that moment.  

It's not even a conscious thought.  It's not like I'm thinking, "God, I don't trust You."  I just simply react without thinking.  I jump into action before praying or seeking God about a matter.  And most matters in our daily lives are not emergencies!

I've also learned that I can be very distrustful of people.  They really don't know what they're doing!  Now if that isn't pride, I don't know what is!  Yet this is my mindset at times.  

Of course some people give us many reasons to not trust them.

So I tell the Lord, "Lord, I trust You.  It's people I don't trust!"

And you know what?  That is fine.  I am not supposed to trust in people.  I am supposed to be trusting in God.

Now how does that pan out in daily life?

It goes something like this:

"Lord, they're going to mess this up.  They already postponed installing our new furnace twice now.  I can't trust them to do the right thing, Lord."

"Elizabeth, am I not Sovereign? You don't think I could move things along if it is in your best interest?"

Then I take charge in the right way - I start praying!  Instead of looking at people, I look up to God.  Instead of trying to control others by texting or calling them and trying to move things along that way, I pray - out loud - to the Lord.

And you know what?  He did turn things around.

Now I have seen God answer countless prayers in my lifetime.  But when He moved this particular situation forward, I actually cried (yet another sign of my emotional weariness).  i couldn't believe He actually answered me so quickly.

Now usually, I am expecting God to answer me.  But I have been in a season of prayers going unanswered, or at least not being answered yet.  So the fact that God answered me so quickly on this left me surprised.

I cause myself a lot of stress.  Are others in the picture?  Of course.  But mostly, I'm still learning, it is how I choose to react to things, people, that increases my level of stress.  I am responsible for how I respond.

Now, I am asking God to help me break this anxiety habit I have formed!  I can quote you book, chapter, and verse all of the anxiety Scriptures.  I know them all.  But I want to actually live them - or what's the point of knowing them?

How about you?  What causes you stress and why?  Can you trust God with the situation or person?

Maybe we don't need more vacations.  Maybe we need a vacation from the way we handle things.  Maybe we need a new perspective.  Maybe we need to trust God more.  In everything.

Lord Jesus, please help me stop and pray throughout the day.  Instead of taking over, I want to let You take over!  Take over my emotions, Lord.  Take over in situations that cause me stress.  Help me be patient when others do not respond as quickly or in the way I want them to respond.  I need You so much, Lord.  I am a mess without You.  I don't want to live anxiously any more, especially since I know You and have access to Your beautiful rest and peace.  I trust You, Lord.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.